GENERAL HISTORY. 



[171 



an occasion of recovering her poli- 

 ticiil existence unJer the shelter of 

 superior force. 



The French divisions continued 

 to advance, and the Russian op- 

 posed to them, to pursue the plan 

 of (gradual retreat. The latter 

 reached the Duna about the 7th 

 of July, without any considerable 

 loss, and beg-an to concentrate on 

 its banks. During these opera- 

 tions the weather from extreme 

 heat changed to cold and storm, 

 which occasioned the loss of seve- 

 ral thousand horses to the French 

 army. Riga was now regarded as 

 exposed to imminent danger, and 

 its governor issued a proclamation 

 to encourage the inhabitants to a 

 vigorous resistance. Some British 

 ships of war had entered its har- 

 bour to assist in its defence. The 

 Emperor Alexander, by a procla- 

 mation, informed liis subjects, that 

 the French had passed the Russian 

 border, and that Napoleon having 

 paid no attention to the most mo- 

 derate proposals of agreement, was 

 resolved, upon the ruin of the 

 country, leaving him no other al- 

 ternative than to repel force by 

 force. About this time, treaties 

 of peace and friendship were rati- 

 fied between the King of Great 

 Britaiti and the Emperor of Russia, 

 and King of Sweden ; thus sealing 

 a bond of alliance which entirely 

 changed the political system of the 

 north of Europe. 



On the 9th of July, the French 

 advanced posts were on the Duna. 

 Prince Bagrathion, the Russian 

 commander, had been intercepted 

 in his march towards Wilna, and 

 bad been obliged to move towards 

 the Dnieper, whilst the French 

 possessed themselves of Novogro- 

 xLek and Minsk. The great Duchy 



of Lithuania was now considered 

 by them as nearly conquered ; and 

 Napoleon published an act, organ- 

 izing a provisional government in 

 it, with a national guard and a 

 gendarmerie. The Emperor of 

 Austria had at this time recalled his 

 ambassador from Fetersburgh, and 

 had sent his quota of troops as ally 

 to France, under the command of 

 tlie Prince of Schvvartzenberg, who 

 had readied the Russian territory. 

 The main Russian army, which 

 was collected in a strongly en- 

 trenched camp at T)rissa on the 

 Duna, evacuated it on the ISth, 

 and moved eastward towards Wi- 

 tepsk, where the Emperor Alex- 

 ander was on the 19th. The King 

 of Naples (Murat) crossed the 

 Duna without opposition on the 

 20th, and spread his cavalry along 

 the right bank of that river. Va- 

 rious partial actions had occurred 

 during these movements, the cir- 

 cumstances of which are so diffe- 

 rently related in the bulletins on 

 each side, that nothing is left cer- 

 tain but the general results. From 

 these it appears that the Russians 

 still persevered in their plan of re- 

 treat, but occasionally checked the 

 temerity of the invaders, who be- 

 gan to experience a greater degree 

 of resistance in proportion to their 

 advance. The Prussians, who com- 

 posed the chief force of Marshal 

 Macdonald, had been advancing 

 through Courland, and a Russian 

 corps at Mittau had been obliged 

 to fight its way to Riga. This city 

 was now thought in such imme- 

 diate danger of a siege, that its 

 suburbs were burnt down, with a 

 vast destruction of naval and build- 

 ing timber. 



The Russian army, when it quit- 

 ted the entrenched camp at Drissa, 



consisted 



